1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric-powered model vehicles, such as model trains, and more particularly, to an automatic door mechanism for a model train or other model vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Various model trains and vehicles are known in the art, which model an actual or imaginary train or vehicle at a reduced scale. In a typical model layout, a model train having an engine is provided. The model train engine includes an electrical motor that receives power from a voltage that is applied to model railway tracks. A transformer is used to apply the power to the tracks, while contacts (e.g., a roller) on the bottom of the train, or metallic wheels of the train, pick up the applied power for the train motor. In some model train layouts, the transformer controls the amplitude, and in a DC system, the polarity, of the voltage, thereby controlling the speed and direction of the train. In HO systems, the voltage is a DC voltage. In O-gauge systems, the track voltage is an AC voltage transformed by the transformer from a household line voltage provided by a standard wall socket, such 120 or 240 V, to a reduced AC voltage, such as 0-18 volts AC.
Some model train cars include functional doors, which can be opened and closed either manually, or by operation of a motor. Notwithstanding their advantages, however, functional doors for model vehicles may be subject to certain disadvantages. For example, some conventional trains have doors that are manually operated. To open and close such manual doors, the user must handle the model train car, disrupting the consistency of a reduced-scale layout. Some model train cars may comprise doors that are motor driven. For some train cars, motorized doors are arranged to slide back and forth on door guides. While this arrangement may be sufficient for model freight train cars, it does not achieve an acceptable degree of realism for passenger train cars where the door or doors are flush with the body of the train car when in a closed position, and thus, cannot only slide back and forth. Further, prior-art train cars having motorized doors are configured to open and close the doors using a fixed cycle, instead of remaining open until commanded to shut. Additionally, prior-art train cars do not provide for motor driven door mechanisms having two or more doors that open and close synchronously, thereby resulting in a less than desirable level of realism.
Accordingly, a need exists for a model train with a motorized door mechanism that overcomes these and other limitations of the prior art.